Salamanders

Salamander

many species

Salamanders are terrestrial as adults, but eggs and larvae are aquatic. Larvae have both gill slits and external gills. A few species are completely aquatic, retaining these features as adults. Some salamanders are boldly colored and patterned and easy to identify, but many are simply small and brown and very difficult to tell apart, like this one.

A tiny larval salamander

A tiny larval salamander at Dutch Springs. Possibly some kind of Dusky Salamander.


Surf Clam

The inshore wrecks are sometimes surrounded by the empty shells of Surf Clams Spisula solidissima, right, to 7" across. Large numbers of the white shells also wash up on beaches. Surf Clams are found subtidally down to 100 feet ( which makes you wonder why they are called surf clams. )

Tiny angel wing-shaped Coquina clams Donax variabilis less than 1 inch long do live in the surf, on wave-tossed sandy beaches.

Printed from njscuba.net